Heroes and Sidekicks
by Dixie Malfoy
Summary: Hermione and Ron have a chat about the upcoming war against Voldemort. A short ficlet divided into two sections, the first from Hermione's point of view, the second from Ron's.
1. Sidekicks: Hermione's Point of View

Disclaimer: All characters mentioned belong to JK Rowling, Warner Brothers, Scholastic Inc, Bloomsbury, and all other such companies. No money is being made off of this.  
  
Heroes and Sidekicks  
  
Part 1: Sidekicks  
  
  
  
Hermione stepped through the portal of the Gryffindor Common Room, clutching her books to her chest. Her eyes went straight to her two best friends who were playing chess by the fireplace.  
  
"Harry," she said, causing the two to jump out their trances, "Professor Dumbledore wants to speak with you."  
  
Harry turned to Ron, eyebrows raised, as if to ask for permission. Ron smiled and stretched himself out on his couch. "Don't worry about it. We'll finish the game later."  
  
Harry left, and Hermione sat down at a table across from Ron. His tall and lanky body, which, it seemed, couldn't stop growing, was half-hanging off the couch, but he looked comfortable enough. His arms propped up his head, and his eyes were closed, just letting the fire's warmth spread over him like a blanket.  
  
Hermione sighed. She didn't understand how he could be so calm about everything. All the students were on the their last nerves, and the littlest explosion from the Potions classroom even brought out tears and screams from some. Ginny looked like she would faint at the drop of a hat. Hermione couldn't tell if it was because Voldemort's impending arrival was a flashback of her time with Tom Riddle or because she was worried about Harry; it was most likely both. Of course, they were all worried about Harry. He had always been thinner and shorter than most people his age but the past few weeks had made those features stand out even more. He wouldn't talk about Voldemort either. When asked, he always said he was "fine."  
  
And Ron. Ron had lately taken to imitating the twins with his joking and laughing at everything. Hermione didn't know how to respond to that. She just felt so exhausted lately. The library, which usually provided her with the answers to everything, wasn't helping her at all with this. How was one supposed to deal with something like this? With a Big Bad Guy coming to destroy your best friend and all the non-purebloods in the Wizarding World? There wasn't a book in existence that could answer that, and for that, Hermione felt lost.  
  
"Hermione? Are you all right?"  
  
"What?" She jumped in her seat. Ron, still in the same position as before, was looking at her curiously. She had been staring at the ground, lost in her thoughts, and was still holding her books ever so possessively in her arms.  
  
"Well, I know you like books but I don't think anyone's going to try and take," he leaned over to peer at the titles, "An Anthology of Eighteenth Century Charms and Theories of Transubstantial Transfiguration." He rolled his eyes. "Our Transfiguration essay was due yesterday. Don't tell me you're doing an extra assignment. We've still got Lupin's project to take care of."  
  
"After I finished, I remembered there was some extra information I wanted to include, but that doesn't matter," she said quickly, putting the heavy books aside on the table. Ron had reminded her of something. "Speaking of Lupin, I heard Professor Dumbledore say that--that you were going to help him."  
  
"Yeah. Harry's got so much stuff to worry about, and you're helping McGonagall, aren't you? I figured I needed to do my part too." He sat up on the couch and stretched his arms above his head and yawned. "Can't just sit around here and do nothing, right?" He smiled.  
  
"...Right. Listen, Ron," Hermione leaned forward in her chair as if no one else could hear what she was about to say even though the Common Room was empty. "What do you think about all of this? I mean, really think about it." She bit her lip as she waited for his answer, and was glad that Ron was actually considering her question instead of coming back with a joke.  
  
After a few moments, he replied, "I think....I think it's going to be hard on everyone, including Harry. Well, obviously Harry. And I know we'll all try to help him if and when we're attacked, but...." He trailed off.  
  
"But what?" Hermione asked anxiously.  
  
Ron shook his head, and then brushed away the few strands of hair that fell in his eyes. "But I don't envy Harry going at it by himself."  
  
"By himself? But we're all here for him!" She exclaimed. "Professor Dumbledore--," she lowered her voice, "Professor Dumbledore has been looking even older and more tired these days. Professor Snape...well, no one's heard from him in days, you and I are doing our part by helping Professors Lupin and McGonagall. Harry's not alone, Ron. He's got everyone on his side here."  
  
Ron took a deep breath. "Look, Hermione, I know. Harry's the Hero, right? We all agree on that. You-Know-Who is after him which means at one point or another, Harry will have to fight him. But me? Yes, I'm his best friend, but I'm also the Sidekick. Sidekicks stick by the Hero through everything, and I plan on doing that, but what happens when the Bad Guy shows up? The Hero goes in alone. It's not the Sidekick's fight; it's the Hero's. That's just the way it is."  
  
"No," said Hermione, "you've been reading too many of those comic books of yours."  
  
"Hermione, just relax. It's not happening today or tomorrow so don't get your knickers in a twist." And as if to demonstrate his point, Ron stretched himself out over the couch once again. Checking his watch, he said, "Well, Harry probably won't be back for awhile. Guess I'll just kip here in the meantime."  
  
Hermione sighed and watched Ron for a moment as he lay there with his eyes closed. The window next to the fireplace was open and the sun's rays shone in across the room, highlighting Ron and his couch. His face looked pale in the light and his freckles stood out even more, little brown flecks scattered across his peaceful face. With his eyes shut and his face coloured nearly white, he looked almost....  
  
"Ron," she said suddenly, "in--in your comic books, does the Hero live?"  
  
Ron opened his eyes slowly, already half asleep. "Always. S'why I'm not worried." He rolled over on the couch and resumed his nap.  
  
Hermione nodded. That's what she thought. The Hero always lived. But...what about the Sidekick?  
  
With one last look at Ron, Hermione ran out of the Common Room and ran back toward the library even though she knew that no answer would await her there.  
  
**** 


	2. Heroes: Ron's Point of View

Disclaimer: Same as before. All characters mentioned belong to JK Rowling, Warner Brothers, Bloomsbury Inc, and Scholastic Inc. No money is being made off of this.  
  
Heroes and Sidekicks  
  
Part 2: Heroes  
  
  
  
Harry had just landed a good move on the chess board, and Ron had to concentrate in order to gain back the advantage. Just when he thought he found a place to move, a voice interrupted them, causing them to jump in their seats. It was Hermione, looking like she had just come from the library, holding two very large and dusty books.  
  
"Harry," she said, "Professor Dumbledore wants to speak with you."  
  
Ron smiled at his friend. "Don't worry about it. We'll finish this game later." When I can trounce you properly, he added to himself with a smug smile. He lay down across the couch, intending to take a quick nap while Harry was gone. Before he closed his eyes, though, he snuck a look at Hermione. She had sat down in a chair nearby and was sitting up very stiffly with her books pressed tightly in her arms. She almost looked like she had been Petrified again. Her eyes had a vacant, glassy look to them, and her lips hung open slightly, like they did when she was thinking especially hard over an assignment.  
  
He had to admit, he was a little worried about Hermione. Not that he'd never let her know that, but he still wondered if she was doing all right. If she wasn't spending her time in the library doing her homework, she was with McGonagall doing who knows what. The end of every day found Hermione looking exhausted and almost as pale as Harry.  
  
When Hermione didn't move from her position, he called out to her. "Hermione? Are you all right?"  
  
She's probably worrying about Harry again, he thought, knowing she must be wondering why Dumbledore wanted to see him.  
  
She jumped in her seat just as he and Harry had done moments before. "What?"  
  
He smiled and teased her about her books, trying to lighten the mood. He couldn't believe Hermione sometimes. She had been under a lot of stress lately--they all were--and yet she still tried to take on extra assignments. "We've still got Lupin's project to take care of," he told her.  
  
A flash of something flickered across her face. It was gone in a second, but Ron had known Hermione long enough to know that something was bothering her. "Speaking of Lupin," she was saying to him, "I heard Professor Dumbledore say that--that you were going to help him."  
  
"Yeah, Harry's got so much stuff to worry about, and you're helping McGonagall, aren't you? I figured I needed to do my part too." He yawned as he sat up on the couch, stretching his arms above him. A few days ago when he made a joke about her doing so much work with the Professors, she had scolded him sharply. "At least I'm doing something, which is more than I can say for you, Ron." "Can't just sit around here and do nothing, right?"  
  
He smiled slightly when he realized she hadn't caught what he meant. But of course she wouldn't notice that. She was so busy worrying over Harry and doing her work that she had probably forgotten that they were partners for Lupin's project. Lupin had put everyone into teams, pairing Harry with Seamus and Ron with Hermione. Ron had even approached her the night before with his book, ready to get the whole thing over with, but she was already on her way to her meeting with McGonagall, could it wait until tomorrow, Ron, please, I'm late.  
  
And really, he couldn't blame her. It was all for Harry that they were doing this. Harry was his best friend and, as he told Hermione, he'd do anything for him. But Hermione had been spending so much time away from him that he just wished he could forget everything and go back to the way it was before. He missed hanging out with his two best friends. He missed their walks around the lake and visiting Hagrid at his cabin. He missed Harry's excitement over an upcoming Quidditch match, and he missed his playful bickering with Hermione. He liked teasing her about how obsessed she was with her work, and usually she'd be able to come back with something smart as well, but these days she either ignored his comments or lashed out angrily. He was only trying to lighten the mood.  
  
They continued their talk about Harry and everything when Hermione told him passionately, "Harry's not alone, Ron. He's got everyone on his side here."  
  
Ron leaned forward in his seat and took a deep breath. He guessed that everyone dealt with things differently; he joked around to get people's minds off things and she just tried to forget about it completely. He couldn't figure out if women in general did that or if it was just Hermione, but either way, it was really annoying. "Look, Hermione, I know. Harry's the Hero, right? We all agree on that. You-Know-Who is after him which means at one point or another, Harry will have to fight him. But me? Yes, I'm his best friend, but I'm also the Sidekick. Sidekicks stick by the Hero through everything, and I plan on doing that, but what happens when the Bad Guy shows up? The Hero goes in alone. It's not the Sidekick's fight; it's the Hero's. That's just the way it is."  
  
Hermione shook her head. "No, you've been reading too many of those comic books of yours."  
  
Ron lay down on the couch again and tried to get Hermione off the subject. "Hermione, just relax. It's not happening today or tomorrow so don't get your knickers in a twist." Besides, he thought somewhat disgustedly, the Hero always gets the Girl, so what does she have to worry about?  
  
He closed his eyes and tried to rest, and almost managed to drift off, but after a few moments, Hermione spoke up again. "Ron, in--in your comic books, does the Hero live?"  
  
Just what he thought. But he wouldn't show her that bothered him. He slowly turned over to face Hermione and opened his eyes. "Always. S'why I'm not worried." But it wasn't just to make Hermione feel better; he honestly believed that Harry would win in the end. It would be a long fight, sure, but they would win. The Hero would triumph and get the Girl. He just wished he knew where he fit in all of this.  
  
Another look at Hermione found her running back out of the Common Room. Probably going to the library, he thought. He wouldn't be surprised if she had forgotten they were partners and finished Lupin's project herself.  
  
Ron sighed and closed his eyes once more, hoping that his nap would relax him just a little.  
  
*****  
  
AN: Just for the record, I am an R/Her. ;) As good as happy endings are, I just think this is a bit more realistic, canon-wise. 


End file.
